Explorer Program Comes to RVC

As part of an effort to keep kids off the street and teach them a thing or two about law enforcement, the Rockville Centre Police and Auxiliary departments are partnering with Nassau County to bring the county's Explorer program to the village. The program, which pairs kids from 14-20 with auxiliary officers and teaches them about law enforcement and career opportunities in the field, will now be run in Rockville Centre — the first village to host its own police Explorer program.

"It gives them an introduction into what the police department does on a regular basis," said Charles Gennario, commissioner of the village's police department. "There are a lot of good kids out there that want to do good things in their community, and this is an avenue for them."

According to Detective Sergeant Gary Shapiro, the county's commanding officer for community affairs, the program has been run for the past six years and invites "explorers" to assist officers at special events and parades, as well as participate in ride-a-longs and normal routines of community policing.

The goal is to help kids grow into mature and responsible adults, Shapiro explained, and teaches them life lessons about morality and ethics. "What's unique about this program is the interaction with active law enforcement," Shapiro said. "They get to see first-hand what a career in law enforcement is like."

Auxiliary Department Chief Gerald Chafetz said he hopes the year-long  program launches by mid-August and so he can conduct presentations about it at local schools. "It's a great character builder and it looks great on college resumes," Chafetz said. "We're trying to get kids involved so they have something better to do than stand on a street corner."